How did America go from the foreign policy Thomas Jefferson stated in his inaugural address of 1801, “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none,” to Commodore Perry’s armed incursion into Japanese territory in 1853?
Unsurprisingly, wealthy people sought to have the federal government take action that would directly benefit their interests while the entire nation would bear the costs. Sound familiar?
We want to thank Kevin Tyson for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.
Who Were the Whigs?
The political party that represented the interests of those wealthy people was the Whig Party. The Whig party emerged in the early 1830s and was driven by several key motivations, including
● Opposition to President Andrew Jackson: The Whigs were formed as a direct response to the policies and leadership of President Andrew Jackson.
○ They opposed Jackson’s expansion of executive power, viz. dismantling the Bank of the United States.
○ They opposed Jackson’s spoils system, which rewarded political supporters with government positions.
○ Notably, they did not offer broad opposition to Jackson’s genocidal policies toward native Americans.
● Economic Development: The Whigs believed in a strong federal government role in promoting economic growth, and development.
○ They supported policies such as protective tariffs, internal improvements (building roads, canals, and railroads), and a national banking system.
○ The protective tariffs favored by the Whigs were a significant cause of the Civil War. The Whigs embraced industrialization and sought to protect American industries from foreign competition. Conversely, Southern agricultural interests opposed tariffs as much of their export-focused economy would suffer when foreign nations retaliated against American Tariffs.
○ The Bank of the United States was a private corporation with public duties; the bank handled all fiscal transactions for the U.S. government and was accountable to Congress and the U.S. Treasury. The battle over the national banking system was a key factor, among others, that caused the Civil War.
The Whig Party was not sectional. Meaning that there were Northern Whigs and Southern Whigs. While the tariffs appealed to Northern Industrialists, federally-funded economic improvements appealed to business owners in both the North and South. There were notable abolitionist Whig Party members, including John Quincy Adams during his post-presidential congressional career, William Henry Seward, Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, and Horace Mann. There were also notable pro-slavery Whigh Party members and pro-slavery advocates who enjoyed broad support in the Whig Party, including John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, and John C. Calhoun.
What Happened to the Whigs?
The Whig Party lasted from 1833 to 1856. Its power was at its height in the 1840s when it held the Presidency and majorities in both the House and the Senate. In 1852, the Democratic National Convention picked a pro-slavery candidate, New Hampshire’s own Franklin Pierce, who won the election and helped carry many of the down-ticket candidates. This loss happened as several smaller parties came into existence, including the anti-Catholic Know Nothing movement, which became the American Party,
Who Are The RINOs?
Republicans In Name Only, RINO, is used pejoratively to describe Republicans who are perceived to be insufficiently conservative. This term came into common use in the United States in the 1990s. Nikki Haley, who served under Trump as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is the current RINO poster child. RINOs are, generally, less likely to put the interests of the United States ahead of foreign interests. A reasonable person might ask, what distinguished them from neoliberals? The answer is not much. When Hillary Clinton, on June 3, 2011, referred to Iraq as a potential “business opportunity” for American businesses, she was pure Whig. Likewise, when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell argues for aid to Ukraine, he’s pure Whig. Even if we do not know the identity of their paymasters.
What Can We Do?
Whether you’re a rock-ribbed autochthonous New Hampshire conservative or a pot-smoking free state nudist, Whigs, be they RINOs, Neoliberals, or Neoconservatives, should make you wig out. Reject those politicians who would pauperize our progeny in support of their paymaster’s stock dividends. Follow the work of our representatives in Concord and let them know what you think, not merely at the ballot box but each week via phone calls, emails, and testimony.
